Beautiful What type of pleco is that?? He looks pretty much like mine! In body shape at least, the pattern is different From experience, goldfish start looking older and charming when they're about 10 years old, give or take c:

I've actually only had her for almost 4 years now. Not sure how old she was when I got her from the fish store. The pleco is just a common as far as I know, but the markings are SO different from my last one. He's like a completely different fish. He has the regular pleco markings, but then also lighter, almost yellow tribal looking markings all over. He also has a LOT of ridges. Looks like a tough guy!

Hmm well than it sounds like she may be around 10 years old, maybe less, maybe more...the only way to tell for certain is by examining the ridges on one of her scales, much like counting the rings on a tree-stump (information courtesy of Nossie ) which could be difficult.

Goldfish can easily achieve 40 years + if given proper housing, so maybe her color changing is not due to aging, but to her genetics.

I see what you mean about losing colour, although she is definately as Nossie said is "a charmer", (love that term, and agree it really does suit the older fish), she would be great company for F.B. seeing they are similar in size, I have noticed that F.B. is also losing her colour a bit lately, it seems to be shrinking away on her back, I will try to get some new pics to compare to the ones I took in June that are posted here... could it be dietary, I noticed some colour enhancing foods for goldie's, does anyone here use these ? I know my father uses colour enhances for his bright orange canaries and they are like fluorescent... cheers

I have no idea how it works, but really, my white fish look whiter too! xD On the rest it's pretty reasonable that white looks whiter because the red become redder but...

Oh, did I tell you that right before I set the big tank up, Berry was losing her red colors? She was gradually turning white, her head lost most of the red and the spot on her back was shrinking... but when I put her in the bigger tank (with better light, food and water) she rather started expanding the reds again I got so worried that she'd turn completely white... D8

I never had a heater in the water until this past February when I got the angelfish. Maybe the warmer temperature made her color fade faster? She still is growing, eating, active and everything. Just the color change.

The water in my bigger tank got a lot warmer than what I had the fish in before, so I don't think it's about the temperature actually... but it's always hard to say! Some fish simply change their colors for no apparent reasons